Local Food Mn

A locally-produced film has been stirring up plenty of controversy in Minnesota’s agricultural and education communities. “Troubled Waters: A Mississippi River Story” is a documentary produced by the University of Minnesota’s Bell Museum about pollution and water contamination in the Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico.

Although my love for restaurants that serve good food -- real food, whole food, food grown locally and raised ethically -- is well documented on this site, I've tended to be less effusive in my praise of ethnic restaurants. The reason for this is simple: finding an ethnic restaurant that sources local food can be a challenge.

Finally -- an Oktoberfest celebration that the whole family can enjoy! For our October local food event, Simple, Good, and Tasty is partnering with our friends at the Black Dog Cafe and Flat Earth Brewing Company in St. Paul to bring you delicious local foods and brews. Yes, we'll have beer, and yes, it will be a family friendly event. Just like the Super Bowl. Or Thanksgiving.

Truth be told, we're having a little bit of a hard time over here figuring our what we're most excited about.

On the one hand, we're big fans of Barbette, a French-influenced restaurant owned by Kim Bartmann (who also owns the Red Stag Supper Club and Bryant Lake Bowl) that's been serving up delicious local food in Minneapolis' Uptown area for years.

On the other hand, we're also big fans of Fulton Beer, a Minneapolis brewery that's been wowing our taste buds since we were first introduced in 2009.

Even those among us who doubt the existence of a higher power shared the sense that someone -- or something -- was smiling down on us this past Sunday, August 15. After a long string of sticky, icky, ninety-degree days, the more than 150 local food lovers who gathered at Minneapolis' Minnehaha Falls enjoyed some of the finest food, fun, music, and -- yes -- weather we've had all summer. Simple, Good, and Tasty's Second Annual Pig Roast and Potluck gathered together families from all over the metro area to share stories, recipes, favorite family foods, and phone numbers with brand new friends. It was awesome.

When the folks at Simple, Good, and Tasty decided to host our first annual pig roast and potluck last year, we weren’t at all that sure of what to expect. Would anyone come eat with us? Would people bring potluck dishes that reflected our values, or boxes of Twinkies? Would we have enough food?

This year we’re a little bit wiser, and we feel a little bit more confident that we know what to expect. But what about you, dear readers? Do you know what to expect? This information should help.

Why Are We Having a Pig Roast and Potluck?

A recent story on National Pubic Radio (NPR) entitled Wal-Mart Helps Small Farms Supply Local Food got me thinking. On the surface, the idea of Wal-Mart -- or any retailer, big or small -- making a public commitment to sourcing better food strikes me as a positive thing. According to the article:

The company wants to revitalize small and midsize farms in the U.S. and has begun a program to increase the amount of local produce sold in Walmart stores. The program also benefits consumers, who have access to fresher food, as well as Wal-Mart itself.

That sounds pretty good, right? The article goes on to say that:

Sometimes I forget how cool it is to live in the Twin Cities. Oh, I'm proud of our lakes, trails, trees, farmers, restaurants, and all. But sometimes I take it all for granted, forgetting just how special this place really is. That's why sometimes it fun to get out of here and experience things from someone else's point of view.

I live in Minneapolis, and I'll admit that sometimes I can be a snob about it. When my in-laws tell me about some "fantastic" Italian restaurant they've discovered in the northern suburbs, for example, my first instinct isn't to jump in the car and drive to Anoka, but to rattle off the places in Minneapolis that are -- obviously, I assume -- both closer and tastier. As a rule, if I'm going to drive more than 20 miles from my house, it's going to be to visit a farm, enjoy a weekend away, or visit a family member I really, really love. Like I said, I'm a snob.

Although I spend a lot of my time thinking and writing about good food, I'm pretty inconsistent when it comes to what I actually do. When my (then) three-year-old boy went on a calcium strike, for example, I caved in after about four minutes and made him chocolate milk. When my daughter pouted instead of getting dressed for school, I offered a piece of candy as motivation to speed things up. When I picked the kids up from school, I'd bring lollipops and crackers. When I had a rough day at work, I'd reward myself with a piece of ice cream pie.

I'm writing about these things in the past tense because I'm committed to change. Summer's coming, and my strategy of doling out treats in order to keep people happy needs to change. It will change.